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Following in the footsteps of the Acts of the
Apostles, written by St. Luke, Shepherd's Cross Christian Helps Ministry
exists by the grace of God to further the first century Apostolic tradition
serving in the Great Commission. |
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Familiar Paths May Not Always Lead Safely Home
Returning home from the apartment complex laundry room I journeyed down the walkway passing the elevator until I reached the end of the hallway where the stairs were. Ordinarily I would use the elevator. I lived on the third floor. However for no apparent motivational change in my routine other than being like a man who was walking in his sleep, I climbed the stairs. The stairs lead to my floor. I began walking down the hallway that I became so accustomed to I walked down the old familiar path to my front door. Reaching my apartment I reached into my front pants pocket in order to retrieve my apartment house key. Having found the key, with what would have amounted to be the last bit of strength that I could muster, I slid the key into the lock. The door swung open the door and there sat five sets of big eyes looking directly at me; two grandparents, two parents and a little child. It was not my birthday so it was not a surprise party. Was this a family reunion? No! Standing with a box of detergent in one hand, a set of house keys in the other it quickly dawned on me, I was in the wrong apartment. Working in property management, I had the master key and I preferred to use the master key as my apartment key. This key was able to open all the apartments in the complex. Without anyone speaking a word, I quickly stepped back from the foray closing the door I returned to the hallway. As my faculties became more acute, I realized that this flat did not have a screen door attached to it either as my door had. Looking on the door I read the unit number. This was the second floor not the third floor. This apartment was the one directly below my apartment. I was do dog gone tired that I had (1) Passed on the opportunity to use the elevator. (2) Went up stairs I don’t ordinarily use. (3) I climbed up only to the second floor instead of the third floor where I lived. (4) Went to the wrong apartment. (5) I opened an apartment door that did not have a screen as mine had. I needed to get some sleep. This misadventure released adrenaline into my sympathetic nervous system enabling me to finish my laundry before collapsing in my lazy boy chair that night in my safe surrounding. Next time I saw those tenants, they laughed. My embarrassment was put to rest. Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands –that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:11-22 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” Matthew 11:28-30 Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it. Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. Galatians 6:6-10 And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you. Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith, because you know that your brothers and sisters throughout the world are enduring the same kinds of suffering. And, after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him belongs the power forever. Amen. 1Peter 5:5-11 |
Shepherd's Cross Christian Helps Ministry